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Monday, October 29, 2012

Chocolate Caramel Crunch Whoopie Pies

I'm just warning you before you start reading and wonder, "What the heck is she going on about?!" --I have a bunch of unrelated things I want to talk about and no real way to connect the thoughts, so I'm not even going to try.

Just go with it.

1. First things first - East coast friends who are hunkering down for Hurricane Sandy... stay safe. I am thinking of you and hoping for the best! And in case the storm zaps your power but not your appetite, here are some recipes that don't require electricity. {Some are a bit questionable, but you do what you gotta do.}

4. For the next challenge, I need to make a cheesecake that represents ME. Um. Cool. Except I don't have the slightest idea where to begin. Thoughts? Ideas? Can you tell me what represents me?! Help!

5. Fall has finally arrived {for now} in South Florida. It was in the 50's this morning. I just about rolled around in a pile of printed scarves like a cat on a catnip-high. So excited.

6. I'm highly considering dressing like this permanently.

This was my Halloween costume for the party we attended over the weekend. I made my husband dress up like "The Milkman" and we gave him a {faux} black eye and {real} lipstick stains as if he was caught red handed.

Gotta keep it creative!

6. I made you these. Because I love you. And because I don't think it's fair that kids get to have all the sugar fun.

I brought these puppies over to the Halloween party I mentioned and watched as, one by one, my friends asked what they were, took their first bite, and made "that face". You know what I'm talking about. That look that comes over someone who is in seventh heaven.

I think they liked them.

These Chocolate Caramel Crunch Whoopie Pies are my Halloween treat for you. Because you spent the week hunting high and low for the perfect costume for your little one; bought 18 bags of Halloween candy {and already polished off 3 by yourself} for the trick-or-treaters that will be knocking on your door this week; spent hours adhering edible tarantula legs to the cupcakes going to your child's classroom party; watched Hocus Pocus for the 112th time this month {I'm not going to lie, I've watched it twice. By myself.}

Or, if you didn't have to do any of the above... just because you deserve it.

They're inspired by Nestle's 100 Grand candy bars that I coveted as a kid and still love as an adult, and also by this cake from the fabulous Martha. Except, I snuck in a little booze with some homemade Bourbon Caramel.

Let your kids keep the peanut butter cups this year. Make some of these for yourself.

1. Beat all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixture until smooth and creamy.

2. Place in a piping bag with a plain round tip. Set aside until ready to fill pies.

For the crunch:

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

3/4 cup puffed rice cereal such as Rice Krispies

1. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

2. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 minute on high {at 30 second intervals}, until smooth and melted.

3. Pour in rice cereal and stir until fully coated.

4. Spread onto prepared pan and smooth into a thin layer.

5. Place in freezer for about 15 minutes until fully set. Remove and break into small pieces, or chop with a sharp knife.

Set aside until ready to assemble pies.

For the caramel:

I used this recipe for Whiskey Caramels, but used bourbon instead, and only cooked the caramel to about 236 degrees so that it would remain a sauce instead of hardened candies. You can also buy storebought caramel sauce if you don't want to make your own.

Fill a small zip top plastic bag with cooled caramel, and snip a small hole in the corner to use as a piping bag.

Assembly:

1. Pipe filling in a circle around the edge of half of the whoopie pies. {Leave a small well in the middle for caramel, it'll help keep it from running out.}

2. Fill wells with caramel sauce, allowing some to overflow from centers onto top of filling if desired.